Post Menu and Details.
- 1. Set-up email authentication
- 2. Use email encryption
- 3. Make your customers aware of email scams
- 4. Do routine internal checks
- 5. Advise clients to use client security
- 6. Use high-quality email tools
- 7. Keep your internet connection private
- Conclusion
Words: 893
Reading time: ~4 minutes
Email campaigning is the most direct method of marketing alongside social media and telemarketing. It makes you easily connect with your customers, and the conversion rates are higher than social media marketing.
That’s why it’s also the most popular channel used for cyberattacks such as phishing, ransomware, malware, spam, email fraud, and other horrible deeds done on the web. The worst part of it all? These breaches are mainly caused by human error – something you can prevent from happening through email authentication.
There are six more ways to improve the security in your email marketing endeavors to keep your customers safe. Keep on reading.
1. Set-up email authentication
Cybercriminals jump from one domain, internet protocol (IP), and email address to another to remain untraceable when performing nefarious acts online. Because of this, internet and email service providers require email marketers to set-up email authentication as a license to send campaigns or build a trustworthy reputation.
To set-up email authentication, you need to implement the three significant protocols: Sender policy framework (SPM), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC).
By setting up email authentication with a designated business email, domain, and IP address, cybercriminals will find it hard to impersonate you or hijack your campaigns. Spam and phishing emails will find it hard to reach your customers’ inboxes because their servers only recognize you as one of the legitimate campaign senders.
2. Use email encryption
Some email frauds who can hijack campaigns from businesses read the emails’ contents to copy the format and writing for impersonation purposes. You can prevent this from happening to you.
All you need to do is turn on the confidential mode on Gmail or access the Trust Center on Outlook. When an encrypted email is sent, only the intended recipient can open and view what’s inside the mail.
Remember, the process of encrypting your emails differ by mailbox service. So be sure to read your user manual first.
3. Make your customers aware of email scams
Most of your subscribers will fail to distinguish the differences between a message from you vs. a fraudulent email from your impersonator. It’s your job to inform them about that. You can send them a list of email addresses used by your business or tell them not to share personal information such as credit card credentials.
Know what fraudulent practices your impersonators employ so that you may warn your subscribers and instruct them to report the fraudulent mail for spam. It’s also best to show your customers various telltale signs of spam, phishing, or spoofed email.
4. Do routine internal checks
Aside from email impersonation and hijacking, there’s also the most dangerous threat of them all: Malware. Once malware enters the computer, you use it to craft email campaigns. All your information will be stolen, including your usernames, passwords, ISP credentials, or browser history.
Whoever has sent you the malware will use your personal information to control your email marketing accounts, such as email addresses, SMTP services, domain, and many more. One sign of this is finding your business email sending campaigns without your knowledge.
Prevent this by running antivirus scans on your computer, laptop, phone, or any device you regularly use for email marketing. Avoid clicking on suspicious links and installing unnecessary programs. Install anti-phishing and email security software as well.
5. Advise clients to use client security
Every email service has its own client security settings, but not every client knows it exists and has it turned on. You should inform your customers of the benefits of turning them on because they are their first cyber-security line against fraudulent email attacks. Suggest to your customers to turn on their firewall as well.
6. Use high-quality email tools
High-quality email tools include your ISP, ESP, computer, and cloud provider. Low-cost ISPs often do not have high-security protocols to prevent spam from being sent from their servers or reaching your inbox.
Free password managers usually offer low levels of password protection. Free email service providers such as Gmail may be popular, but that too has faced security breaches. Some non-mainstream ESPs reigned the title of the most secure ESPs in 2020.
The last email tool you should worry about in terms of security is your computer. Has the brand of your laptop or PC been involved with privacy issues in the past? If yes, then that might be a red flag. Always get to know the makers of your device first and what country it’s from.
7. Keep your internet connection private
WiFi passwords are made for a reason: They prevent hackers from entering your WiFi network and cause all sorts of undetectable mayhem. A compromised WiFi network is just like a malware attack, once it happens, lots of information is stolen, and tremendous damage will be done.
As much as possible, don’t let any unauthorized person connect to your WiFi or Local Area Network (LAN). Better yet, use a complicated WiFi password. If you do email marketing at home, it’s highly suggested to use separate networks for personal and business purposes.
Conclusion
Most cyberattacks happen due to breaches of privacy, device, and network controls. Always do your best to keep your information and networks secure. It’s highly suggested to use paid email, cloud services, and password managers where your money is worth the security.
Learn how cybercriminals operate, spread the word to your customers, and subscribe to trustworthy ISPs. Avoid clicking suspicious links and installing suspicious applications. And never provide critical information to unauthorized personnel.
Thank you for reading!